How do I get emergency exit seats?
 

You know, the seats with more leg room? I am a United Mileage Plus member but those seats always seem to be reserved for people that are part of some special club.

Anyone know the way to get in there???

To reserve exit row seats on United, you have to have Premier Executive status (50K elite qualifying miles) or higher.

For Economy Plus seating, you have to:
a) have elite status on United
b) purchase an E+ Access subscription
c) purchase E+ at check-in (or occasionally it's offered at the time you buy your ticket)

http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,51896,00.html

They are normally reserved for members of the Elite reward program...you have to fly 100K miles a year, etc. You can try 24 hours before your departure when you check in online to see if the seats become available...some airlines allow you to purchase them for an addition $25 or $50.

Try http://www.preferredairparts.com/seats.htm
:)

I guess I'll try the 24 hour in advance thing but on an international flight I doubt it will be available.
I don't think I can afford the other ways...
Thanks.

Irrespective of any other considerations, you must be able-bodied and willing to assist in an evacuation in order to occupy a seat next to an emergency exit. This is required by law. If you're in poor health, or small and delicate, or obese, etc., you won't be allowed to sit near an emergency exit, no matter what privileges the airline has given you.

Someone who is in good health will be eligible for exit row seating. People don't get turned down for being too skinny or "delicate", and the only restriction for fatness is that you have to fit without a seatbelt extender. You will be asked if you are capable of doing what is on the card, but once that's clear, it won't matter.

I think each airline has its emergency exit row policy/guidelines.

For American Airlines, this is posted on their website:
1) Are you willing to assist on an evacuation?
2) Are you under 15 years of age?
3) Are you an adult traveling with a child under 15 years of age or another passenger who requires your care? NOTE: The passenger will not qualify, if these passenger types are seated anywhere on the aircraft.
4) Do you lack mobility, strength and dexterity in both arms, both hands and/or both legs to: quickly reach the exit, remove any obstructions, manipulate the exit door and slide mechanisms or lift out a window exit door, exit the aircraft, or assist others in exiting?
5) Do you lack visual capacity or require corrective aids beyond eyeglasses/contact lenses?
6) Do you require assistance beyond a hearing aid to hear and understand verbal instructions?
7) Are you limited in your ability to read and understand printed/graphic instructions related to exist, an aircraft evacuation or the ability to understand crew members commands?
8) Do you have a condition that might prevent you or injure you while performing evacuation functions?

The pax has to answer Yes to Q#1 and No to Q#2-8 in order to meet the requirement.

Skinny and delicate people can indeed be turned down. Airlines that allow practically anyone to sit in exit seats are compromising passenger safety.

"Are you limited in your ability to read and understand printed/graphic instructions...."

And this was posted on the website?

It reminds me of an ad for an agency promoting adult education: "Illiterate? Write for free help....."

It was probably just copied directly from the Federal Air Regulations (FAR 121.585, which describes the criteria that exit-row passengers must satisfy).

I don't know. I've been lucky a few times on AA getting an exit row seat. I have no special status with AA, just fly with them from time to time and am an Aadvantage member. Maybe just showing up early and being nice counts.

Yes, airlines can turn anyone down. But someone who just happens to be skinny is very unlikely to be turned down. Someone who has an obvious mobility impairment will be turned down, or should be.